. >>> as i mentioned john kerry has now been confirmed by the united states senate. happened late this afternoon. he's the next secretary of state. in fact, he is secretary of state. the vote was 94-3. the only no votes came from both from texas senators john cornyn and ted cruz and oklahoma's james inhofe. the foreign relations committee which kerry chaired for the past four years voted for him unanimously. tomorrow m governor duvall patrick is expected to name kerry's replacement to the senate. that will be a big headline, the new senator from massachusetts. we'll be right back. [ male announcer ] you are a business pro. executor of efficiency. you can spot an amateur from a mile away... while going shoeless and metal-free in seconds. and you...rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle...and go. you can even take a full-size or above, and still pay the mid-size price. now this...will work. [ male announcer ] just like you, business pro. just like you. go national. go like a pro. >>> welcome back to "hardball." for months now we'